Hey! Let's Nation Build and Free Cyprus!

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by VJ
Has this happened after the cold war?

No, but they've rumbled on occassion.

Both Germany and Finland have bans on nazi parties. Are these countries democracies y/n?

No.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Originally posted by Lancer
"You're kidding, right?"

Rufus, actually the Phils has it pretty much together for a third world country with 5 million muslims.

Lancer, the Phils is now rated the second most corrupt country in Asia, after Indonesia. They've gone, over the course of my lifetime, from being the second-richest country in Asia to one of the poorest; in addition...

- Over half the population lives in poverty

- There have been successful or attempted military coups during every presidential administration except Ramos'

- 30% of their customs duties and 35% of their income taxes go uncollected

- 30% of their budget goes to foreign debt interest

- A full 20% of their pathetic GNP is sent home by overseas workers

- They have one of the world's worst rates of tuberculosis

And my two favorites...

- In a world where English has become everyone's second language and the defacto language of business and diplomacy, English-language fluency has actually declined here over the last 25 years

- In a country whose chief problem is, arguably, overpopulation, a recent survey showed that 30% of adult Filipinos cannot explain how pregnancy happens (thank you, Catholic Church)

Bohol is a great place to hang out. But if the Phils have it "pretty much together," then most of Africa is just peachy.

edit - BTW, I'm not sure what the 5,000,000 Muslims have to do with anything; predominantly-Muslim Malaysia is in much better shape than the Phils, and I'll bet that within the next 10 years Indonesia passes them by, too. Frankly, the Phils would probably be better off with more Muslims, since you can make the argument that what's really killing this place is its Catholicism. But that's an argument for a different thread.

[RGBVideo]

"Both Germany and Finland have bans on nazi parties. Are these countries democracies y/n?"
No.

QFT

I have to go now, RL calls. Feel free to pwn my arguments when I'm gone.

[Shi Huangdi]

How about we give the whole of Europe over to France. Then we won't have to pretend anymore that they don't actually own it.

[Lancer]

Rufus, those things don't invite nation building imo. The country is free, maybe a little too free, I agree. Corruption is rampant, agreed. The prosperity can be regained. I believe it was Marcos who brought the country so low and he's gone. Still lots of problems but they're trying...

I didn't mean they don't have problems, I'm just not ready to turn the place over to the Japanese as Spif jokingly suggested.

[Theben]

Originally posted by VJ

QFT

I have to go now, RL calls. Feel free to pwn my arguments when I'm gone.

Democracy for most, anyway. Athens was considered a democracy even tho only male citizens could vote.

[Theben]

Originally posted by Lancer
I'm just not ready to turn the place over to the Japanese as Spif jokingly suggested.

I didn't realize you had that level of authority

[Lancer]

Did you not? Oh yeah, I'm 'the man'.

[Theben]

The WHITE man.

[chequita guevara]

No, I'm the White Man.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Originally posted by Lancer
Rufus, those things don't invite nation building imo. The country is free, maybe a little too free, I agree. Corruption is rampant, agreed. The prosperity can be regained. I believe it was Marcos who brought the country so low and he's gone. Still lots of problems but they're trying...

I didn't mean they don't have problems, I'm just not ready to turn the place over to the Japanese as Spif jokingly suggested.

Actually, I don't think they are trying, or trying very hard. That's no surprise; the wildly dysfunctional nature of this society actually serves well the handful of families that run the place -- labor is cheap, taxes are low (and the rich don't pay them anyway), white collar crime and corruption go unpunished, etc. The rich like it the way it is, because they are, effectively, feudal lords. The poor hate it, but do nothing because they are too conditioned by both the Filipino attitude of "bahala na" and the Church's urging people to just accept their lot in life. And the middle class? What middle class? There's a reason we run the second-busiest immigrant visa office in the world here; the Filipino middle class can't get off this sinking ship fast enough.

But no, that's not a reason to invade. Still, it's astonishing to me how many Filipinos will tell you, after a few drinks, that what they really want is for the US to take over the place again.

[Lancer]

"But no, that's not a reason to invade. Still, it's astonishing to me how many Filipinos will tell you, after a few drinks, that what they really want is for the US to take over the place again."

Well said Rufus, all of it. Really. ...and the quote above, I've gotten the same. It's really sad.

Theben, you ARE the whitest man I've ever seen belly flop in a Filipino spring fed pool at September fiesta in Bohol with light warm winds from the south and scudding clouds.

[chequita guevara]

He can't tan, which is odd, considering he's 1/4 deigo. Our father is half deigo, and he doesn't tan either. Just burns.

[Theben]

It's dago, not deigo, you stinkin' wop.

[Theben]

Originally posted by Lancer
Theben, you ARE the whitest man I've ever seen belly flop in a Filipino spring fed pool at September fiesta in Bohol with light warm winds from the south and scudding clouds.

And how many have you seen?

I thought it was more like a swan dive, almost a perfect 10.